Server virtualization on the rise

Move your power around to save systems

Jim Tessier, Eaton Corporation

01/14/2012

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Eager to lower hardware spending, simplify management, and ensure continual uptime, businesses are rapidly implementing server virtualization in their data centers. In fact, nearly 50% of server workloads will be running on virtual machines by the end of 2012, according to analyst firm Gartner Inc.

Many organizations use virtualization management software to administer their virtual environments. Such systems provide centralized control over host servers, virtual machines, storage, and more.

At present, though, many users of virtualization management suites must employ a separate set of management tools to monitor their power infrastructure, weakening the productivity of their technicians and potentially delaying response times when problems occur. Intelligent power management solutions integrate closely with leading virtualization management products, enabling IT and facilities personnel to view, monitor, and administer not only physical and virtual servers but UPS, PDUs, and other power devices through one console.

They also enable virtualization management products to provide a comprehensive view of network and power-related alerts that spare administrators from having to watch for alarms in two or more different places, dramatically reducing the chances of serious issues going unnoticed.

Moreover, drawing on seamless integration with live migration systems, intelligent power management solutions can automatically and transparently move virtual machines from host servers impacted by a power outage to unaffected servers elsewhere on the network; they can even move virtual machines to co-located cloud data centers. As a result, businesses can weather even serious power outages without suffering data loss or application downtime.

Jim Tessier’s full article on power management is one of the topics in Plant Engineering’s Forecast issue, which will be published in mid-February. To receive the digital edition of Plant Engineering in time for the Forecast issue, which also will feature the 2011 Plant Engineering Salary Survey, subscribe here (it's free!).